Surfer, Henry Martinez achieved a historic event in the world of the sport. The surfer, who is blind, became the first Costa Rican to win a medal in the Open Pro of Adaptive Surfing, hosted by his country.
In the blind category of the competition, Henry won the silver medal, facing in the final the Spanish Aitor Gallo Francesena, which took place in Boca Barranca, Puntarenas in the presence of 65 competitors from 18 countries.
“Honestly, it was an incredible final. The conditions were amazing. I really remembered what it meant to really have fun during a final, beyond the pressure and conditions that are often very challenging. The safety was demanding, we had incredible waves, good weather and, above all, a very high level,” expressed Martinez to La Nacion.
“I fought to the end against the world champion and I am very proud of my participation. It was amazing to have Aitor Gallo Francesena surfing here. I even came out with a prize (referring to injuries), after taking a blow to the head after a fall that made me bleed. We really gave everything, even our blood, to win a medal,” he added.
In addition, Henry -who was world champion in adapted surfing in 2021- thanked the organizers of the event for bringing a world-class competition to Costa Rica.
“We have a unique opportunity. This is the largest adapted surfing event that has been organized in Costa Rica and it is wonderful, because it gives Costa Rican athletes who are starting to compete with the best in the world the opportunity to get exposure without having to spend on expensive plane tickets,” he said.
“Organizing this event here in Costa Rica makes us dream of having more dates of the World Tour of our category in the country, since most of them are held in Hawaii and the United States. It is a great opportunity to raise our level, since we are in front of the best on the planet,” he noted.
Published by Emirates Herald, news and information agency.